Improvement in gun-harpoons



1. P.RECHTEN.

Bomb Lanei Patented De. 7. 1869.

N.PETERS. PHOTO-LWHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON1 D c.

Wire.

JOHN I. RECHTEN, OF NEW YORK, N.

Letters Patent No. 97,693, dated December 7, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN GUN-HARPOONS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same,

To all whom t't may concernl Be it known that I, JOHN P. RECHTEN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement iu Gun-Harpoons, of' which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure l represents a longitudinal view, as seen from -the outside, of a gun-harpoon, constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2, a longitudinal sectional view of the same,

taken at right angles to l; and

Figure 3, a transverse section, through the line xx,

in iig. 2.

Similar letters of reference -indicate corresponding parts.

My invention embraces, in a weapon designed to be thrown by the hand, a main stock or handle, carrying a barrel or barrels, charged with explosive material; and a suitable device or devices for capturing or killing, and holding on to the whale, by explosion of the charge or charges, on` the weapon striking or entering the iish.

In this connection, the invention includes a pair of.

s uch barrels, the one of which carries a harpoon, iuserted as a projectile therein, and made fast to the tow-line, that has the stock of the entire weapon loosely hung ou or connected with it, while the other barrel carries a bomb that explodes on entering the fish, the charges in said barrels being ignited by percussion-caps, struck by hammers, as the same are liberated from seres, operated by a sliding rod or point, arranged to first come in contact with the fish, or any -other suitable tiring-devices may be used.

` The tbrward portion of the tow-line has a stop arranged on it, for operation, in connection with an eye or loop, or other suitable projection, on the stock of the weapon, whereby only the necessary amount of slack may be payed out for theharpoon, in being shot into the iish, to drag along with it, to secure its proper or full entry, thereby relieving the harpoon, while being vfired, ot'\much unnecessary dead weight, as regardspull on the whole line, or any large portion of it.

Referring to the accompanying drawings- A represents the main stock or handle of the weapon, bowed at its forward end, as at B, and carrying within it, on `opposite sides of such bowed portion, barrels O and D, also, a central or intermediate sliding rod, E, that is pressed outward. by a spring, a, to form a point or project-ion in front of thc weapon, and which, on being forced inward, that is done by striking the fish, when throwing the weapon, serves to operate seres b b, and liberate hammers e c, that, striking caps placed on the nipples d l to the barrels C D, explode the charges in the latter. l

The one of these barrels, which are loaded with any suitable explosive mateiiabcarries, as its projectile, a harpoon, F, that has the front end of the towline Gsecured to it, said tow-line running back through 'suitable tiring-contrivances,

a suitable eye or guide, e, in or on the main stock A, s0` that, on the whale running oit with the harpoon, and the tow-line being pL yed out, the entire weapon may be recoveredon the taking of the `fish.

In connection with this loop e,or, it may be, any other suitable projection on the stock A, is a stop, j, on the forward portion of the tow-line, so arranged, 'that in handling the weapon to throw it, the tow-line maybedrawn up along the stock, ltill arrested by said stop j, which measures out the necessary slack to the line in frontof the loop e, to allow ot the weapon F heilig shot by the explosion of the charge in the barrel C, (as hereinbei'ore described without dragging on the rest of the line, whereby the harpoon is relieved of much dead weight, by not having, when fired', to pull on the whole line, or any considerable portion of it, even.

This feature in the action ofl the weapon is clearly shown by full. anddotted lines`in iig. l ot' the draw- 1n.

a-lhe other (D) of these barrels carries a bomb, H, that, on being tired into the whale, explodes andkills the iish, at the same time, or thereabouts, that the harpoon F enters the whale-to hold on to it, after being wounded, and as it makes away with, or attempts to make away with the line.

The forward portion of *the stock A, or .its'bow part B, is of a box-like character, being provided with a partition, h, connecting the two barrels C and D, so that a water-proof casing, I, may be made to encircle and enclose the after portion of the barrels, and protect the percussion-caps on the nipples and lock-portions o' the barrels from exposure to or injury by water during the use of the weapon, said covering being of an opening or removable description, to admit ot' after-access, as required.

lVhat is here claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-' 1. The combination, with the main stock or handle to a haud-weapom'of the description herein referred to, of a harpoon, connected with the tow-line of the weapon, and arranged to operate as a projectile from a barrel carried by the main stock, and provided with substantially as specitied.

2. The combination of thc barrels C and D, the sliding rod or tiring-point E, the harpoon F, for operation in connection with a bomb, H, the tow-line G, and the main stock A, essentially as herein set forth.

3. The combination, with the barrels C and D, and sliding rod or firing-pointE, ofthe seres b b and hammers c e, substantially as shown and described.

4. The stop f on the tow-line G, in combination with the harpoon F and loop or eye e, on the main stock.v A, essentially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

Witnesses FRED. HAYNEs, HENRY PALMER.

JOHN P. snoeren. 

